Tax increase would fund school necessities

Thursday

Jul 31, 2014 at 7:54 AMJul 31, 2014 at 7:56 AM

By Chris WorstTwitter: @ChrisWorst_TDRBRONSON — When voters living in the Bronson Community School District go to the polls on Aug. 5, they will be faced with the choice of voting for or against a tax increase.The proposed tax is a sinking fund — a special type of millage which will allow the school district to pay for repairs and improvements at the schools."These (repairs and improvements) are needs, not wants," said superintendent Teresa Belote.Sinking fund money can only be used on specific improvement projects, and not at all on personnel costs. Any revenue generated cannot, for example, be used to upgrade technology or to purchase school buses."The rules are very specific and ... structured," Belote said.The Bronson Community Schools Board of Education selected several projects earlier in the year on which the money would be used. Specifically, these projects would include replacing the boilers at Anderson Elementary and Bronson Jr.-Sr. High School, roof resurfacing at both Anderson and Ryan Elementaries and an update on Ryan Elementary’s fire alarm system to bring it into compliance with state regulations."(The improvements) are really important for the kids," Belote said.Regarding the boiler at Anderson Elementary, Belote said, "They’ve repaired it and repaired it, and now they’re at a point where repairing it is not an option.""The school board has spent countless hours going over this," said Rick Miller, president of the Bronson Community Schools Board of Education. "Nobody wants to raise anybody’s taxes; we’re all taxpaying citizens as well ... we don’t have any other choices."Miller said the board has requested the passage of several millages in recent years, all of which were shot down by voters. He said many of the voters with whom he spoke voted no because they wanted the board to first spend money from the general fund before asking for more funds."We did," Miller said. "We didn’t just spend money to spend money ... I don’t think we’ve spent any money frivolously."He said the board has also made numerous cuts to cover expenses, but state aid has continuously decreased."It’s just to the point now where we need to come back and ask (voters) for some help," Miller said.Belote said the sinking fund, if passed, would generate $400,000 a year for five years, or $2 million in total. For a home with a taxable value of $50,000, she said the millage would cost approximately $100 a year."It’s kind of a pay-as-you go plan, so you’re not paying interest," Belote said. "Every year when you collect the money, you’re using the money."There’s some money built into (the sinking fund) for an emergency, but if it doesn’t get used, it stays with the taxpayers," Belote added.Belote said anyone who would like more information on the sinking fund proposal can find it at the Bronson Schools administrative office, 501 E. Chicago St. Information on the proposal, including the language that will appear on the Aug. 5 ballot, has also been posted to the "Bronson Rocks!!!" Facebook page."It will not cover everything; we know that," Miller said of the millage. "We’re addressing the immediate needs (of the district)."